Watch & Learn

Education

Explore the Arts

Wolfgang Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (b. 1756 – d. 1791), a musical prodigy from the age of six, Mozart is considered by many to be the greatest musician of all time. His legions of works include famous pieces for symphonies and operas, choral and piano; nearly every one is considered a masterpiece of the classical music form.
International acclaim is nothing new for Mozart.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (b. 1756 – d. 1791), a musical prodigy from the age of six, Mozart is considered by many to be the greatest musician of all time. His legions of works include famous pieces for symphonies and operas, choral and piano; nearly every one is considered a masterpiece of the classical music form.

International acclaim is nothing new for Mozart. Believing him a gift of God, his father exhibited Mozart's manifest talents to the world. Acclaimed in his own era, Mozart was well regarded as a man of unique musical abilities and talents by his contemporaries. His works were prodigious; beginning at age 10, Mozart composed fifty symphonies during his life. In his youth, he was knighted by the Pope and performed for the King and Queen of England.

He was gifted with "perfect pitch", Mozart's inborn abilities as a natural musician became increasingly evident the older he grew. Other seemingly supernatural gifts were equally as stunning. It was not uncommon for young Mozart to pick up an instrument and play it without a single lesson. At twenty-five, Mozart married and settled in his homeland of Austria. Although Emperor Joseph of Austria briefly employed him, Mozart struggled to clothe and feed his family. Ironically enough, the Emperor clothed Mozart in fine apparel and bestowed upon him the gift of a large ring to be worn during performances.
Mozart wrote for every genre of music known to him, including symphonies, concertos, chamber music, church music, operas, and operettas - most of which are regarded as masterpieces today. Among his most acclaimed works are the operas Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, and Figaro. Although Mozart died at the age of thirty-five, his legacy on western music is profound: not just in terms of sheer numbers, but in their emotional impact, his works include the frivolous and lively to the solemn and morose.

Excerpt from Mozart: Sonata for Piano 4 hands in F major, K. 497. As part of his week in residency, pianist Lang Lang gives a duo recital with mentor and friend Christoph Eschenbach of works for two pianos by Mozart and Schubert.

Excerpt from Mozart: Sonata for 2 Pianos in D major, K. 448. As part of his week in residency, pianist Lang Lang gives a duo recital with mentor and friend Christoph Eschenbach of works for two pianos by Mozart and Schubert.

Upcoming Events

Conductor Vassily Sinaisky and three Russian singers make their NSO debut with Rachmaninoff's The Bells in a program including Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, featuring NSO Principal Clarinet Loren Kitt, and Borodin's Prince Igor Overture.